View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What relationship do Paul and Allison claim to have as part of the cover they use to travel to the Authority enclave?

2. How many people does Della estimate would have been killed had her attack on the pass been successful?

3. Instead of obeying Della's request with regards to Wili, what does Mike do?

4. Allison and Mike pretend to be what?

5. What does Wili reveal about the nature of bobbles?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mike decide to embobble himself?

2. How does Wili manipulate the Authority's communication system for the Tinker's advantage?

3. Why does Wili lose contact with Jill during the final approach to the embobbling position?

4. How does Mike feel about losing Jeremy inside the bobble at the bioscience lab?

5. Why are Paul and the others stopped on the road to the Authority enclave?

6. How does Wili manipulate Della and Mike while they are at the demonstration of the power generator?

7. What is Renaissance?

8. What important bobbles does Paul say are due to collapse soon?

9. Why does Paul decide to embobble himself?

10. What is Wili's assessment of the situation with Mike and Della?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Red Arrow Industries are the remnants of a foreign military force from the advent of the Peace Authority. Over the years, they have changed significantly and play an important role in the conflict between the Tinkers and the Authority.

1) Describe the origins of Red Arrow Industries, including how they came into conflict with the Authority, and how and why they settled in North America.

2) Explain how Red Arrow Industries operates as a community and as a manufacturing business. Discuss their technological and business relationship with the Tinkers and the organization of their settlement.

3) Discuss the role that Red Arrow Industries plays in the conflict between the Tinkers and the Authority.

Essay Topic 2

The events after the chess tournament and at the tenement house spark the final conflict between the Tinkers and the Authority, exacerbating a disagreement that could have smoldered for a long time or fizzled into nothing.

1) Explain the Authority's motivations for intervening at the chess tournament. What were their long and short term goals in this action, and what consequences did they anticipate or fail to anticipate?

2) Discuss Wili's insistence on aiding those trapped at the tenement house. Explain his plan to help them and why he is willing and able to follow through on this dangerous plan.

3) Describe how the events surrounding the chess tournament hostages escalate the conflict between the Tinkers and the Authority.

4) Cite evidence from the novel to explain how the plot may have progressed differently had either Wili or the Authority acted differently at either of these junctions.

Essay Topic 3

Jill is a computer program created by Paul for both practical and sentimental reasons. At the height of the final battle between the Tinkers and the Authority, she allows Wili to escape while sentencing herself to almost certain capture and destruction.

1) Discuss the reasons Paul had for creating Jill. Describe her sentimental importance to Paul, and the functional role she fulfills.

2) Explain some of the behaviors Jill exhibits which suggest she has become more than a simple program. Additionally, discuss the reactions other characters have to these behaviors.

3) After Jill sends Wili away to complete the embobbling program herself, the other characters discuss whether or not she was fully sentient and whether her actions constituted a sacrifice. Cite evidence from the book and speculate as to whether Jill was independently intelligent, whether she had real emotions, and whether her destruction constitutes a real sacrifice.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 949 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample